East Peoria, Ill. - The Illinois Central College softball team split with Black Hawk in non-region action on Saturday, losing the opener 7-1 but taking the second game 9-4 at Thome Field to finish out regular season play.  The Cougar offense was limited to only four hits in the opener, but they rebounded in the latter game by pounding out 13 hits, including two home runs (by Savanah Clifton and Olivia Drish) to salvage the split.  ICC, now 25-15, will find out on Monday who they will host in the Region 24 quarterfinals in a best two of three series on Tuesday, May 2 with the if necessary game scheduled for Thursday, May 4.  

"We're happy with the way we adjusted in the second game as our bats came alive," coach Heather Doty said. 

Game 1:  Black Hawk 7, ICC 1
Marley Williamson got the home team on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a solo homer to left field for a 1-0 lead which was enough through the first four innings.  Kiersten Manning kept the Braves' offense off-balance from the mound as she struck out eight batters but ran into trouble in the top of the fifth, giving up a two-run home run to take a 2-1 lead.  The Braves added two more runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh for the final margin. 

Hitting leaders
Marley Willimason | 1-3, home run, RBI

Pitching
Kiersten Manning | 5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 8 K
Amber Lee | 2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER

Game 2:  ICC 9, Black Hawk 4
Black Hawk came out swinging to start Game 2, notching four runs in the top of the first on two singles, a double, and home run to take a 4-0 lead.  The Cougars struck back with three runs in the bottom half as Olivia Stirnaman walked and Kylie Hyde singled.  Drish had an RBI single to score Stirnaman and Hyde scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.  Shylar Boze then singled to center to score Drish and cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Cougars threatened in the bottom of the second with a Stirnaman double and Hyde single but could not push a run across.  Meanwhile, on the mound, Lee pitched scoreless second and third innings to keep ICC close.  Drish took over in the circle in the top of the fourth and did the same, blanking BHC the rest of the way.

Offensively, the home squad tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Willimason to knot the score at 4-4, scoring Manning who had singled.   

The Cougars let loose in the sixth but pushing five runs across the plate to take command of the game.  Stirnaman reached on an error, stole second, and scored on a Hyde single which give ICC a 5-4 advantage.  Drish then belted a two-run homer (her team-leading 12th of the season) to make the lead 7-4.  Manning doubled and Savanah Clifton also had a two-run homer to center field for a 9-4 lead.  It was Clifton's third home run of the week and 8th of the season.  

Hitting leaders
Olivia Drish | 2-4, home run, 3 RBI
Savanah Clifton | 1-4, home run, 2 RBI
Kylie Hyde | 3-4, RBI
Marley Williamson | 2-4, RBI
Kiersten Manning | 2-4, double
Olivia Stirnaman | 1-3, double

Pitching
Amber Lee | 3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K
Olivia Drish | 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K

Next up:  Tuesday, May 2 in Region 24 Quarterfinals in double-header at Thome Field at 2pm.  Series will be best 2 of 3, opponent is TBA, and the "if necessary" game will be Thursday, May 4.